Ben Madilynn
If police dogs had trading cards, K-9 officer Yep’s would be a Mickey Mantle or a Willie Mays, a real collector’s item.
On the front would be a strikingly beautiful black-phase German Shepherd with a yellow tennis ball in her mouth. And on the back would be some very impressive lifetime statistics.
In her five years in the justice league with the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Yep is credited for 106 arrests on 515 deployments.
She had a nose for drugs and searched several hundred vehicles, while also sniffing out several missing persons.
And she made a friend for life in MBPD officer Tyler Struckus, her handler and BFF.
“You spend more time with (your police dog) than your family,” Struckus said. “They’re with us 24 hours a day. You build a really close relationship over time.”
Myrtle Beach Police Officer Tyler Struckus and K-9 Officer Yep pose for a photo. Yep has retired, and has been adopted by Struckus. (Photo by Casey Jones/casey.jones@myhorrynews.com)
Yep is an apprehension and drug detection dog, which means “lots of physical work.”
She eats a high-fat, high-protein diet, and weighs 74 pounds without her bullet-proof vest. She’s fearless and fleet of foot, with a firm grip that more than a few bad guys can attest to.
Struckus met Yep at a kennel in Pennsylvania, and they bonded over six weeks of intense police training. Yep was two-and-a-half years old, and ready for prime time. She’s one of five K-9 officers in the MBPD.
After her initial purchase, Yep was a bargain for Myrtle Beach taxpayers. She worked for nothing — just room and board, and a tennis ball that she got for a job well done. “That’s her toy; that’s her reward,” Struckus said.
But now, after five years on the force, Yep may have lost a step from the wear-and-tear. Police dogs are typically taken off the field at age 8 or 9, and there are no desk jobs to transition to.
So, Yep is retiring to a life of leisure, fetch and cat naps at Struckus’ house.
“I want to give her a good quality of life,” Struckus said of his partner and protector. “She made me look good.”
